HOW TO MAKE FIRE CIDER - PLUS THE AMAZING BENEFITS OF ITS INGREDIENTS

 

HOW TO MAKE FIRE CIDER

IT’S HISTORY

Throughout history honey and vinegar concoctions have been used as a remedy for ailments. Different variations have appeared that have incorporated things like chillies, herbs etc. The term ‘Fire Cider’ came up recently though as it was coined by Rosemary Gladstar in a course that she gave in the early 80s. This trusty concoction has been successfully used as a cold remedy as well as an awesome immune booster.

It can be taken every day during flu season or as a quick reliever of cold symptoms such as congestion, runny nose, aches and pains in joints. It is a wonderful immune booster for you especially if you’re looking for something other than conventional medicine which comes with many side effects.

HOW TO MAKE IT

Ingredients

·         Natural, that is organic apple cider vinegar

·         Raw honey

·         Ginger

Ginger is a wonderful herb that is anti-inflammatory, has amazing properties that fight free radicals in the body, combats nausea, helps in weight loss, relives menstrual pain, stimulates circulation and helps to clear up congestion.

·         3 heads of Garlic

This trusty herb boost immunity, is a wonderful antibiotic and also has anti-inflammatory properties. It is excellent for colds and has been shown to improve blood pressure.

·         1 Horse radish root

This spicy root is anti-inflammatory and increases gastric secretions and appetite. It is highly beneficial for someone with the flu as it helps stimulate perspiration

·         1 Lemon

Lemon adds vitamin C to this medicine that is an excellent immune booster.

·         Jalapenos or cayenne peppers

Jalapenos contain an element called capsaicin which has strong anti-cancer properties. These peppers help improve circulation and aid in mucus secretion

·         Turmeric root

This wonderful herb has is famed for its anti-inflammatory properties because of the presence of curcumin in it. This particular property of turmeric makes it a must-have addition to meals for those suffering from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It also has antioxidant properties and helps in digestion.

·         Black pepper

It increases your metabolism while offering microbial benefits and relief from coughs

·         One large red onion

It has antioxidant properties as well as microbial benefits. They also contain vitamin C, B-6, B1 and K, as well as well as calcium.

·         Thyme

It is wonderful for the respiratory system. It is also packed with vitamin A, C AND B-6 and additionally has anti-inflammatory properties. You’ll need a handful of this

 

Preparation

1.      Chop the lemon and set it aside

2.      Peel the horseradish root and then grate it or shred it in a vegetable shredder. Use a quarter cup of this in this recipe.

3.      Next peel and grate the turmeric. You’ll want to use a half cup of turmeric in this recipe.

4.      Peel and grate the ginger so that you get a half cup of it.

5.      The garlic preparation is next. Once you peel it, crush it and then chop it up.

6.      Cut your peppers into slices as thin or thick as you wish

7.      Peel the onion and chop it into large pieces

8.      Now add all these ingredients to a half gallon jar one on top of the other until you have it all in. Remember to put the thyme in without the stems.

9.      When all the ingredients are in, add the apple cider vinegar so that it covers all the ingredients and goes over them by at least three inches.

10.  Make sure to cover the jar with a plastic lid. If all your jars have metal lids, then place a piece of parchment paper between the jar and the lid. This will prevent the metal from reacting with the vinegar and rusting.

Leave your fire cider to rest for a minimum of 3 weeks. This allows it to infuse well and will be more potent as a medicine. You can leave it for longer even up to 6 weeks. The key thing to remember here is to gently shake the jar from top to bottom each day.

Other Variations

The list of ingredients above is not cast in stone. The recipe for Fire Cider can vary depending on what ingredients you have on hand. Some recipes add oregano and or rosemary leaves. Others use both lemons and oranges. Those with a high heat tolerance mix up various peppers such as habaneros, jalapenos and serranos. So do not feel like you just have to have this specific set of ingredients.

Another thing to remember is to substitute what you don’t have for something close to it. For example you can substitute the horseradish for any other radish that you have available.

When the preferred time period has elapsed, it is now time to strain it. Use a sieve with small holes or one lined with a cheese cloth to strain out all the particles. Next you’ll add raw honey to your preferred taste. Make sure to add just enough to make the fire cider tolerable to your tongue. You’ll find that as you get used to the taste you won’t need it to be so sweet. Therefore err on the side of caution here.

How to Take It

A table spoon or two per day is quite enough when you have a cold or just as a preventative and immune boosting measure during the cold season. You’ll get all the benefits of all the herbs and spices and be safer during the cold season.

Final Tip

Remember to only use organic ingredients here. Note that we did not peel the lemon that we used in this recipe. Therefore get an organic lemon and if this is not possible, peel the lemon.